The document provides a progress report on the establishment of a National Information Focal Unit (NIFU) in Morocco as part of the AARINENA Regional Agricultural Information System (RAIS) project. It discusses priorities set for Morocco at a 2008 meeting, including advocating for the importance of information management. It outlines actions taken at the national level, including meetings held with decision-makers and potential partner institutions. It also summarizes ongoing information and communication management projects at the INRA institution in Morocco to support the NIFU and NARIS. The report concludes that INRA is committed to NARIS implementation and that support from international agricultural research centers would help boost the development of the RAIS project in

1. The National information Focal Unit
Case of Morocco
Progress Report
National Information Focal Unit
Report
Case of Morocco
Otman sebbata Bahri NourEddine
ICT Specialist ICM Specialist
sebbata@inra.org.ma bahrinour@yahoo.fr
INRA Morocco
Regional Training Workshop
quot;Building National Capacities in Information and Knowledge in support
of Agricultural Research for Development in Near East Regionquot;
Cairo, Egypt
17-20 May 2009
April 2009

2. Content:
1.0 Introduction 1
2.0 Priorities set at the OMAN meeting Jan 08 1
3.0 NARIS strategy 2
4.0 National Level:
4.1 Advocating the project to Decision makers 3
4.2 Regular contacts with potential institutions 3
4.3 First meeting at INRA 3
4.4 Recommendations from National Stakeholders 4
5.0 Institutional Level 4
5.1 Advocating the project to Decision makers 4
5.2 On going ICT/ICM projects at INRA 4
6.0 Conclusion: 5
Appendix 6
1 List of Moroccan Institutions involved National Focal Unit at the NASRO

3. 1.0 Introduction:
Establishment of the National focal unit decided in the Jordan RAIS General Assembly in
2006 and AARINENA institutions members were invited to appoint a NIFU within their ICT
and ICM unit.
The Information and Documentation unit was designated by the general directorate and is
currently coordinating work done on ICM within INRA.
No extra resources in terms of Human Ressources and logistics were given to the designated
NIFU’s to fulfill its duties within the RAIS projects.
2.0 Priorities set at the OMAN meeting Jan 08:
General
A. Develop an information and knowledge management strategy at national/institutional
levels.
B. Develop information management workflow(s) to ensure proper (coordinated) processing
of information objects within the institution, and identify individuals/ focal points responsible
for content input and processing.
C. Advocate/promote awareness and understanding amongst decision-makers of the full
potential of ICM/T in agricultural research for development.
Morocco priorities:
• advocate/promote awareness and understanding amongst decision-makers of importance and
impact of information on agricultural development
• develop IM workflow(s) to ensure proper (coordinated) processing of information objects
within the institution - build capacity of all staff/stakeholders involved in the workflow(s) -
using external resource persons
• existing content (non-digital): a stepwise process should be developed including: - capacity
building for librarian, information managers and info-mediaries
- digitization - scanning and OCR through automated tools/systems
- roprocessing for retrieval - catalogin , indexin , bookmarks
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4. 3.0 NARIS strategy:
Development of a National Initiatives
Issue Actions
Policy • start with a small-scale pilot network with just a
few institutions
• define a chart for the NARIS and a consensual
yearly action plan with clear objectives
Institutions • Ensure champion(s) are identified, preferably in
(amongst each institution, and form a network made of
potential steering committee member that will take the lead
network on network development.
members) • Organize consultation(s) with appropriate (selected
NARS) institutional stakeholders to gather
feedback on system design.
• Develop clear and well constructed proposal with
appropriate network architecture and appropriate
ICM solution/technologies at reasonable
(sustainable) cost.
People • Human Resources and Staff Development plans for
ICM to ensure skilled HR motivation to actively
collaborate in the system
Content • Coordinate with NARS Steering committee to
ensure access to content and appropriate selection
of priorities.
Technology • Each NARS will provide the necessary IT hardware
needed for the NARIS
• Secure procurement of adequate technology
infrastructure etc through network proposal and
advocacy.
Financial • Ensure institutional support through system
proposal and advocacy.
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5. 4.0 National Level:
4.1 Advocating the project to Decision makers:
One of the first action aiming at seeking decision makers support is increasing awareness of
the NARIS benefit to ARD. In this respect, a sintesis explanation note was prepared and
presented to the INRA new General Director. this note relates to the following issues:
- overview of existing similar system at international level
- objectives and justification of the AARINENA rais
- ICT/SC progress reports since 2003 with special emphasis to tools made available for
implementing the NARIS.
- Role of INRA as a Moroccan NIFU and expected actions to be taken for system
formalization
The new DG was receptive to the project and supported launching a pilot scale NAIS or
NARIS “National Agric. Research system” as the DG wanted it to be called to avoid any
misunderstanding from national stakeholders, to mainly the research and the training entities
(cf. list of institutions in annex 1) . At this level, letters prepared by the NIFU and signed by
our DG were sent to top level decision makers at those institutions.
4.2 Regular contacts with potential institutions
Direct Contacts and onsite visits with ICT/ICM specialists and managers at Moroccan
NARIS. Those contacts were informative and aiming at collecting required information on
ICT/ICM situation in Morocco.
After Establishment of the NIFUs, those contacts needed to be formal and decision makers at
those institutions had to be involved since full commitment of those institutions to the NARIS
collaboration must be supported by top level manager..
4.3 First meeting at INRA:
Program:
This meeting was prepared and hosted by INRA. Research and Training institutes represented
by deputy director and ICT/ICM managers.
Two presentations were made:
The First one on the National agricultural research information system was presented with
specific reference to the existing FORA, RAIS justification, system specification and tools
and strategy components
The second presentation was on developed tools. NERAKIN tool was presented in details in
terms of objectives, expected outputs, specifications, standards and tools and web demo on
the portal.
Discussions among participants showed their interests to the system which was seen as a tool
for collaboration and resources sharing among partners. All institutions agreed to full
commitment to NARIS partnership.
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6. Participants were invited to brief on their situations in the field of ICT/ICM. Existing
information resources made mainly of thesis are important but do not cover the whole
information production which needed to be controlled within an information policy to ensure
whole coverage of the grey literature production. IT logistics used for ICM is provided by
institutional budget. The most important aspects that needed to be tackled is the limited
number of qualified Human resources on ICT and ICM which needed to be strengthened and
trained on the use of NARIS tools, standards and methodology.
In addition, participants agreed to meet on a regular basis to set all the necessary structures
and procedures needed for system launching. A steering committee made of the participants
was set and will co-ordinate actions and duties within NARIS. Next meeting is expected in
early june
4.4 Recommendations from National Stakeholders:
Distribution of RAIS tools and procedures to all NARIS partners
Call for assistance from an IARCs such as ICARDA as a facilitator to moderate a one
day workshop on NARIS chart, strategy and vision and be a trigger to the starting of
the NARIS activities
Provide training to ICT/ICM specialists on the tools and procedures set for RAIS
Raise awareness of decision makers on NARIS
5.0 Institutional level:
On going projects initiated by the Information and documentation unit in accordance
with priorities set in the oman meeting concern the followings:
1. Implementation of Webagris 2.0 interface to query the research output databases
that will be made available through the inra website. This interface offer possibility to
export data in xml format which is compatible with the RAIS tools;
2. Enhancement of a new Website version of INRA Website using a local application
software Widesoft GPP www.widesoft.ma enabling information workflow and serving
as a portal to integrate data from INRA’s central and regional Units. In addition
research activities and research output will be given an importance and collected data
on researchers and research projects will fulfill RAIS requirements. The new website
version will be launched in a couple of weeks;
3. Digitizing of INRA’s information resources made of its Journals Awamia and Les
Cahier de la Recherche Agronomique totalling 23000 pages and grey literature
(researchers’ Reports) over 300 reports
4. Virtual Library made of INRA”s grey literature and international ressources:
especially research report and thematic reports submitted in the performance
evaluation process (over 300). INRA has also provided IT logistics made of file server
that will integrate not only INRA information resources but also external resources to
be provided at the 10 regional centers were researchers are located.
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7. A pilot project initiated in late 2008, has already covered 60% of regional centers and
will be complemented in first 2009 semester to cover all the 10 regional centers.
Workshop was organized by Information and documentation unit to train IT managers
on file server maintenance and use of the existing information resources. On site visits
were used by IT managers at the Information and documentation unit to ensure system
installation and operability and solve problem related to server implementation in
regional centers’ Local area Networks.
5. Access to online resources: such as AGORA and Tropag (Tropical Agriculture
database by Royal Tropical Institute Netherland). In addition means will be provided
to access Science direct resources
6.0 Conclusion:
INRA is fully committed to the RAIS project and to NARIS implementation at
national level
Substantial support of national NARIS from IARCs will boost development of
the AARINENA / RAIS project
Special attention must be given to capacity building of ICM/ICT Human
Resources at National level. In this regard IARCs assistance and support is
highly recommended.
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8. Appendix 1
List of Moroccan Institutions involved in the small scale pilot project
Insititution’s full Name Acronym Website
Institut National de la Recherche INRA www.inra.org.ma
Agromique “INRA”
Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire IAVHII www.iav.ac.ma
Hassan II
Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes ENAM www.enameknes.ac.ma
Ecole Nationale forestière d’ingénieurs ENFI www.enfi.ac.ma
Centre National de la Recherche CNRF www.eauxetforets.gov.ma
Forestière
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